Being an older(64) guy, I can really relate to how CDS will go from Dabo to Coach Swinney. Even at my age, I still have the privilege to have a couple of my former coaches still living, believe it or not.

My former high school golf coach spent some time with me at the Wells Fargo Championship last week. He has been going since its inception back in 2003 and his wife accompanies him as well. He is in the North Carolina High School Hall of Fame. He was seriously ill last year and we almost lost him. I had the privilege to play golf with him many times along with my Dad--who passed away in 2008--and I still call him Coach Rhodes.

I also have my old Jr. High football and baseball coach who I see on occasion, and I also address him as Coach Walters, even though he asks me to call him Bill.
You hit the nail on the head when you said that our coaches help mold us into the people we become. Come to think about it, they still are a part of the Greatest Generation.

My son --who you know-- sent me an on-line article about the Doolittle's Raiders Reunion planned for Fort Walton Beach. Of the 80 original Raiders, only four remain. The respect that I have for these men and for those that educated me is beyond description or my ability to tell how much they mean to me.

I think each of us need to take the time to think about those who taught us how to compete and play the game. They all told us it is human nature to want to win, and that losing to a better team teaches us how to learn from it so we can attain higher goals. I have never had a self-esteem problem when I played my best, and got the stuffing beat outta me. Just made me want to turn the tables on them the next time.

Thanks for the blog. I hope I get to meet you in person sometime when I am there in Clemson.

Our best to Ryan and his continued success overcoming all he has gone through these past years.

Ron

Ron,
Ryan is doing well. I will tell him you sent your best. Come see us anytime you are in town.

It sounds like we grew up with the same type of respect for coaches. I was fortunate to have great coaches from Little League through high school. Many of those guys helped me in my formative years. I have several family members that were coaching legends in this state like Joe Small at Travelers Rest and Frank Small down at Beaufort, so I grew up watching those guys and how much they gave to their players. Thanks again for the email.

Dear Mickey,

I read your blog today, "Push The Schedule Back." What in the world were you thinking when you wrote that? You must be delusional. I suppose you think making reasonable suggestions makes sense. You fail to realize that some moron takes pleasure in having college baseball fans watch early season games wearing hats, scarves, gloves, and winter coats. :D

Best,

Kirk

Kirk,
I am sorry. I wasn't thinking straight. The hot chocolate vendors love February baseball. Hey, this year May felt like February.

Mickey,

I caught just a few minutes of your show this morning and you were talking about the blog you would have today and it is an interesting subject. I am considerably older than you are and I can see a huge difference in the culture in this country from the time I was 10 in the early 60's to the time you were 10 in the early 80's to today when my oldest grandchild is now 6. When I was growing up we would get into football games at Clemson for nothing or maybe a quarter because we would meet one of our coaches at the gate and it never occurred to us that our coaches were not among the most important and most respected men in our town because they were. If a student got out of line in a gym class the coach would get after us with a broom. I am not sure Danny Ford ever got after one of his players with a broom but my guess is the players respected him and his discipline because that was the way things were in the early 80's.

I know you may not remember these shows but we cannot go back to the days of Father Knows Best, Lassie, Leave It To Beaver and many others because they have been replaced with violent video games, schools that are not allowed to discipline kids like we were, and most importantly days when children are not raised in 2 parent homes that include a sound belief in God and church as a big part of life. Is today's culture the blame for players calling a coach by his first name, who knows but I ask you are things the same today as they were when you were 10 and I think we all sadly know the answer to that.

Andy

Andy,
Thanks for the email. I would imagine some of Coach Ford's players wished he had a broom instead. Like you, I feel fortunate that I had two parents in my home and a great support group around me. I can't say I would have made the same decisions I did if I grew up in some of the awful environments we hear about today. I think kids today have it much tougher because the support is not there as often or by as many people in many cases. Thanks again for your email.

Mickey

I live in London and on my 27" iMac study via espn3 in my study I have watched every Clemson football game the past 3 seasons. I pay the princely sum of £99 per annum (current rate of exchange $1.55=£1) for college sports. This package allows me to watch up to 15 games each week so I can have a look at the dreaded gamecocks and other Tiger opponents.

Todd is right the Clemson Rugby team deserves support. It's shameful they don't have a permanent rugby pitch.

A few years ago the Tiger Rugby Club raised nearly 50K for a Christmas England rugby tour. I watched their Witney (Oxfordshire) match in freezing windy conditions where they not only won the match but won over the heart's of the English supporters.

Richard

Richard,
Thanks for the cool story on Clemson rugby. I didn't know they had made that kind of impact.

The world has become smaller when fans can watch Clemson all over the world. My guess is that following the Tigers will continue to get easier with technology. Hopefully it will get cheaper as well.

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